Tsukino Namida
by Catalina Storm
Summary: He had followed the scent across the wastes for weeks. It had called to him, tickling his mind and tantalizing him with long-forgotten memories ...
1. shizuka na tsuki

Tsukino Namida  
  
  
**Author's Warning:** This story takes place **AFTER EPISODE 30**. If you have not seen that far, don't complain to me that there are spoilers in the story. You've been warned.   
  
  
  
  
The city stood proud at the edge of the wastes, its skyscrapers lighting up the night and obliterating the natural light of the stars. It was the only beacon of civilization for miles, the wasting remnants of what once was a noble civilization.   
  
The traveling figure paused on an outcropping of rock that overlooked the city. There were some houses that sprawled out past the edges of the city, with small plots of farm that would occasionally produce meager amounts of fresh vegetables. Some lights sparkled among those houses; most electrical but every now and then the dancing shadows of live flame would be apparent.   
  
The night wind carried an icy chill, as well as the strong scent of acrid smoke. The figure ghosted silently along the rock crest. If anyone had happened to look out past the brightness of the city, they would have seen nothing save for the moving shadows.   
  
He had followed the scent across the wastes for weeks. It had called to him, tickling his mind and tantalizing him with long-forgotten memories. The trek had been long ... the wastes stretched the majority of the western part of the continent. It had been full of peril, and he could not remember the last time he had tasted fresh meat. The scent of the flower had called him this far, there was no turning back now.   
  
He raised his nose, letting the cool wind caress his muzzle. The scent of the flower overrode all else, this must be his destination. Even the acrid scent of destruction was muted by the calming smell. All at once, the efforts of the past weeks caught up with him and exhaustion overtook the white wolf. He trotted slowly between hovels and cottages, finally coming upon one that had been abandoned. The scent of humans was old; he knew he would not be disturbed here. Loping quietly in through a busted door, he barely made it behind a rotted desk before sleep overtook him.   
  
* * *   
  
"There he is, catch him!"   
  
A white ear flicked at the shout, it came from nearer than he was comfortable with. Golden eyes opened as someone crashed into the side of the hovel he had found. The sharp sound of gunshots got him up; he could smell the gunpowder and then the stench of the unwashed humans as they drew closer to his hiding place.   
  
The door was thrown open thunderously as a teen not much older than a boy slammed into it with his entire body. He was carrying a satchel full of fresh food. The boy bounced as the half-rotted door slammed against the wall and ricocheted back at him. He froze as the door slammed against him, staring in surprise as the large white wolf crouched, the fur around his neck rising. "I though--" The boy started, but then remembered his pursuers. "Half the food in this bag is yours if you help me!" he cried desperately.   
  
The white wolf needed no second bidding. He had originally been planning to just make a run for it, but the scent of fresh food after running for so long on nothing but his memories was unbearable. He sprang forwards.   
  
There were three of them in all, one a short, fat merchant dressed in bright, garish colors. Following close behind him were two very brutish men who could only be bodyguards. One wielded a gun, while the other had a very large, blunt, iron bar. All three of them stank, the smaller, fat one the worst of all. He attempted to cover his unwashed smell with fragrant oils, and overall it made for a reprehensible stench.   
  
"Which way did that brat go?" he screeched, sliding to a halt in the middle of the road. "I want his head! I want his hands! It will teach him to never steal from me again!"   
  
The two bodyguards did not speak, but glanced around, observing everything. One nodded towards the door of the abandoned hovel, which hung ajar. They moved noiselessly towards their prey.   
  
Before they could move into the entranceway of the hovel, a large white blur shot out of the door. It sprang upon the first bodyguard, the one armed with a gun. The man shouted in surprise, shooting at the white blur and managing to only nick the creature. The shout turned into a horrified scream, which quickly transformed into a gurgle as the wolf sank his fangs into the bodyguard's neck.   
  
The second bodyguard stopped dead, his eyes on the wolf, which now stood spread-pawed on the still-warm body of his companion. Blood dripped from the jaws of the beast. A second growl diverted his attention from the white wolf to the door, where a second, smaller wolf stood spread-pawed and ready to spring. The bodyguard promptly dropped his iron bar to the ground, where it clattered and rolled towards his fallen friend, before turning and running full-tilt the way he had come. The merchant had fled at the first sign of the beast.   
  
The small brown wolf stepped out of the entrance, looking down the way the thuggish guard had retreated. He grinned cockily, resuming a human form before anyone had the sense to notice. "Ha, I think that asshole pissed himself! He won't be following after any street rats for a while." He turned to the white wolf, which was spitting the human blood onto the ground. "I didn't expect you to go for the throat, though. That will gain you unwanted attention, so unless you plan on beating a hasty retreat I'd suggest concealing yourself."   
  
"Why take human form?" the wolf snarled, still spitting blood on the ground. "Where is your--"   
  
"--pride as a wolf," the brown-haired boy finished for him. He opened his satchel and pulled out a string of fresh sausages. He tossed it to the white wolf, and watched, amused, as he sniffed it, then gobbled it up greedily. "I'll tell you what I told the last wolf who asked me that. What good does your pride do you when in that form you're nothing but a walking money mark? Wolves are hunted, my friend."   
  
The brown-haired wolf straightened from the crouch he had been resting in. "Come on ... you're new in town. I at least know a safe place to spend the night." He glanced down at the dead guard. "And I at least owe you that much, for saving my hide. I'm Ashi," he added.   
  
He watched the white wolf consider for a moment, then they both heard the sounds of shouting as the police drew near. He rose, taking human form as well. "I'm ... Kiba."   
  
* * *   
  
The sun brought little warmth to the city. It rested in a stark, gray sky and often moved behind clouds, threatening to snow.   
  
People moved around in a constant rush, late to their jobs, late to school. Always wrapped warmly in all sorts of layers, they used the layers of clothing to isolate themselves from the people around them. Always rushing, they ignored the slow decline of the environment and concentrated on themselves. One person moved slowly through the crush of people, intent on very little save his own morose thoughts.   
  
There had been another attack on the lab near the northern edge of the city. While normally, the white-haired young man paid little heed to things that happened outside of his own territory, it had been a rival gang that had attempted the raid. The group had been entirely destroyed in the raid; leaving little doubt to the severity of the consequences should other groups get any bright ideas.   
  
It didn't bode well for any of the street gangs. Lately, it seemed as though the police force had concentrated their efforts on eliminating the numerous gangs that operated within the metropolis. They hadn't bothered the groups much before the large installation was constructed a few years before. Ever since then, the police had slowly been concentrating more effort on apprehending and dissolving the gangs that made up the city's underworld.   
  
Tsume looked up in time to see a police cruiser scream through the intersection, lights flashing violently. Two more cars flew through, several seconds behind the first. Two old ladies stood by the mouth to an alley, and Tsume overheard them as he passed. "Did you hear? Some wild dog is on the loose... it ripped out some man's throat!"   
  
"A wild dog, huh? It would have to be a big one to catch a man off-guard like that!"   
  
He diverted down an alley, never changing stride as he did so. A wild dog attack? It was unheard of, dogs weren't large enough to take a man by surprise ... unless it was some drunkard lying passed out on the street, and then it was plausible some hungry creature mistook him for carrion. But wild dogs large enough to take out a man...?   
  
"They say it was a wolf."   
  
Tsume wasn't surprised by the voice. He glanced up at a fire escape and saw one of his three runners, a boy named Ashi. "A wolf?"   
  
Ashi was leaning against the railing, grinning cockily. "Or at least, that's what they say."   
  
Tsume glowered at Ashi. The boy was a full head shorter than he, but sometimes Tsume got the feeling that Ashi was only short because he liked being that way. Ashi had ragged, dirty brown hair that liked to sweep back past his ears. The boy fiddled with his goggles, still grinning. "You're involved in this, somehow," Tsume growled.   
  
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Ashi shrugged. "Anyway, I swung by to let you know that the police are looking for you, specifically, again. Maybe you should crash at your girl's place for a night or two, give me and Dran time to nose out the rat. That, and," he said touching a finger to his forehead as if he'd just remembered. "I have a ... friend ... who's new in town. D'ya care if he shares a berth for a night or two, until he gets on his feet or moves on?"   
  
Tsume stared at Ashi. "How did you hear that?"   
  
"Through the usual channels," Ashi shrugged, grinning. He knew damn well Tsume would never actually pursue the question, as it was it would be kind of hard to explain he overheard a police radio while nosing for scraps behind the police station. "What's up, oyabun? You look a little rattled."   
  
"Did you hear about Luca's gang?"   
  
Ashi frowned, and for a second Tsume swore the boy had ears that flicked forward with interest. He blinked, certain he had imagined it. Ashi shook his head. "No, I hadn't. And that's rare. What's up?"   
  
"They're all dead."   
  
"What? How?!" Ashi vaulted over the fire escape and landed a few feet away from Tsume in a crouch. "Who did it? And when are we striking back?"   
  
Tsume shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and began walking down the alley. Ashi followed, and Tsume paused when he heard another body hit the ground.   
  
"Err," Ashi paused, half-turning. "Remember that friend I told you about?"   
  
Tsume half-turned as well, to see a young man straightening. Cobalt blue eyes met dark gold. After a moment, Tsume glanced back to Ashi. "This him?"   
  
"Yeah. That's -"   
  
"Kiba."   
  
Ashi blinked, glancing from Kiba to Tsume. "Have you two met?" His glance lingered on Kiba for a moment more, the unspoken still hanging in the air. 'Does he know?'   
  
Kiba shook his head once but did not speak. Tsume had turned and continued down the alley. "No," he said gruffly. Ashi, puzzled, shrugged once and then followed after his oyabun.   
  
Tsume, meanwhile, was staring down at the ground, already lost in his thoughts despite himself. Where the hell had he pulled that from? He didn't recognize the guy ... despite his scruffy appearance; he didn't look like the sort to be in a gang. But when they had locked eyes, Tsume had felt something. It was hard to explain ... something deep, and wild. Something ancient.   
  
He shook his head, glancing down at Ashi, who was looking at him, concerned. "What?"   
  
"I said, who killed Luca's gang, and when are we striking back?"   
  
"The guards at the lab."   
  
"WHAT? The idiot tried to break into *there*? No *wonder* they're all dead." Ashi folded his arms behind his head and blew out a breath, looking disgruntled. "Everyone knows that place is impenetrable. *No* one goes there."   
  
"What's there?"   
  
Kiba's voice surprised them both. Ashi glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. "If we knew, the gangs wouldn't be so intent on breaking in to find out," he said, matter-of-factly. They continued out of the alley, which spilled out into another main street. However, this one was actually set about fifteen feet higher than the next street over, providing an interesting view of the northern part of the city. Ashi pointed at a strangely shaped building to the north. "There. That's the place." He paused, staring at it. "I wonder what goes on in there..."   
  
Kiba stared at it too, and Tsume stopped to look at him. The boy was damnably familiar. "That is where I need to go."   
  
"Well, that's... wait, WHAT?" Ashi had started walking again, and abruptly stopped and spun on his heel. "Are you damaged? An entire gang was slaughtered going in there; you won't make it past the first set of..."   
  
"The scent of the flower is coming from there," Kiba said matter-of-factly. He made as if to jump down to the next street, but Tsume moved quickly, grabbing one of his coat's sleeves.   
  
"Wait. Maybe we can help each other."   
  
Kiba paused, staring at Tsume, and Ashi completely boggled. "Oyabun... what?"   
  
"You want to find out what killed your friends." Kiba stated.   
  
"I won't lie and say you're wrong, but I want to know what's so goddamned important about that place." Tsume stared into those blue eyes. "I don't know why... and I'm a fool for doing this... but it seems to me that you're perfect for this job."   
  
Kiba did not break the stare. "Twenty hours. Then I'm going ... whether you're with me or not."   
  
"Deal."   
  
"Dammit, oyabun," Ashi yipped angrily. "Did you totally ignore the fact that the police have a warrant out for you? You have to lay low, at least for a while...!"   
  
Tsume didn't answer, instead shoving his hand back into his pocket and continuing down the road. Ashi paused, glancing from Tsume as he walked away, to Kiba, who was still staring at the installation. "He'll find out if you're not careful," Ashi said quietly. "I've spent three years here, I don't want to blow it, and I especially don't want *you* to blow it for me!" Ashi turned then, to run after Tsume and chide him more in the vain hope something would get through.   
  
"Rakuen."   
  
Ashi's stride faltered slightly and he glanced back at Kiba. But the young wolf said nothing more, chasing after the human he called oyabun.   
  
***   
  
The skies grew darker quickly as it threatened to snow once again. "Taku," a boy in a dark blue hooded sweatshirt said with a sigh, leaning back and staring up at the dense layer of clouds. "Snow, snow. All it ever does around here is snow." He shivered slightly at the chill breeze, and then made a face as a fat white snowflake landed on his nose.   
  
"Oi, Hige!"   
  
Hige glanced up, brushing the snowflake off of his nose with an irritated grunt. A dark-haired boy his own age was leaning out a window on the second story of the boarding flat. "What?"   
  
"You better get a move on if you don't want the old lady catching you hanging around here again," the boy shouted down. "You're behind on your rent, and she's out for blood this time!"   
  
"Yare, yare." Hige sighed, and closed his eyes. The college entrance exams had come and gone again, and once more he had completely blown them off. He couldn't last much longer as a ronin ... no part-time job would keep him as it was. He was about to get kicked out of his lodgings ... maybe he should just cut all ties and move on, like a couple of his buddies the year before.   
  
Another snowflake drifted down from the sky and landed on his face, so Hige opened his eyes to glower at the heavens. It was a total injustice that the upper class didn't even have to take the entrance exams; it severely cut down the number of available spots for any of the poorer classes. Never mind the fact that the rich drove up the prices of attending any of the schools anyway.   
  
Hige glanced down, and started in surprise. A large black dog sat at the foot of the stoop. The canine's fur was scruffy, and was matted with blood in places. "Whoa! Where'd you come from?"   
  
The dog cocked its head at Hige, its tongue lolling out. Hige smiled slightly as he reached out and rubbed the dog's head. "You look hungry, fella ... you belong to anyone?" There was a slight commotion down the street, and Hige looked up with a frown. "Hey ... you're not the dog they're after, are you?"   
  
A glance into the dog's soft blue eyes made Hige instantly regret having said that. He fished around in his pockets and pulled out a dark red bandanna. "Heh, I've had this for a while. Here, it'll probably look better on you than me." He tied it around the dog's neck, and patted its head again. "Now ... I've got to be going. Sorry I don't have any food ... I probably need it as much as you do." He stood up, shoving his hands back into his pockets and hopping down the stoop.   
  
As he passed the dog, it stood up and started to walk next to him.   
  
Hige stopped. The dog stopped. Hige started walking again, and the dog started a pace behind him. "Now, just what are you doing, blue-eyes?"   
  
The dog's ears perked a little, and Hige smacked himself in the face. "No names. I'm not gonna name you, then you'll never leave me alone. Listen." He squatted down so he could stare into the dog's eyes. "I have no money. I have no food. No. Food." He repeated the last to make sure the dog got the message, and then realized how ridiculous he looked. He straightened, running a hand through his mess of brown hair. "Taku... you can follow me if you really want to, but I have nothing for you."   
  
That stated, he turned on his heel and started back down the street. When he glanced back over his shoulder, the dog was sitting on the sidewalk where he had stopped, its ears drooping. He looked forward. "Well, that's good. Poor thing would have starved to death hanging around me." When he glanced back over his shoulder again, the dog was gone.   
  
* * *   
  
Ashi sat cross-legged on the ledge. The gang was headquartered in an abandoned, split-level place. The lower part was usually where the gang gathered to hang out, to fight, and to receive orders. The upper part, though, was usually ignored. Ashi had staked it out as his own, and the few times someone had called him on it usually had nightmares for the next few nights of a large brown dog snarling over their throats.   
  
The nicest thing about the top part was that half of the roof had caved in. A nimble-pawed wolf could easily get in and out using the rubble as a ramp, and often enough one could find Ashi on the roof, generally enjoying himself and acting as a lookout for the rest of the gang.   
  
Tonight, however, he sat inside, frowning down at the handful of gang members who had shown interest in Tsume's plan to invade the lab. They were mostly fools, bloodthirsty fighters who didn't care that they would most likely be slaughtered in the run. It amazed Ashi how careless humans could be with their own lives. Dying was natural, but it didn't have to be without reason.   
  
Ashi stood, and then leapt lightly down from the ledge. He scaled the rubble quickly and was out on the roof in no time at all. Kiba was lying there, his hands folded behind his head and his attention firmly on the sky.   
  
He glanced up as well, but saw only the cloud-covered sky, with the lights of the city behind them reflecting off. He plopped down beside Kiba, staring out at the far-off installation. "Just what is so interesting about that place?" Ash leaned back, putting his weight on his hands. "Why are you so intent on getting in there?"   
  
Kiba didn't answer and Ashi sighed, staring off. Several minutes passed in silence, before Kiba spoke. "Don't you smell it? The scent of the lunar flower?"   
  
Ashi laughed quietly. "That," he said quietly. "I should have known. You're not the first wolf to come through here babbling about this flower." He sighed. "None of them stuck around long, though ... most were shot on sight. A few got away, went back to the mountains, I'd guess."   
  
"But you've smelled it."   
  
Ashi tapped his nose. "Of course I have ... your nose would have to be buried in crap to not notice. Why do you think I've stuck around here so long?"   
  
"I thought you liked the humans."   
  
"Ah, I like'em well enough." Ashi finally flopped over backwards as well, staring at the sky. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be hanging around with them. They're useful, you know."   
  
"I suppose you wouldn't mind being a *pet*, either."   
  
"Hey now, that's low." Ashi shrugged. "I just said people are useful. You don't need to get all defensive about it."   
  
Kiba grunted something but Ashi couldn't make it out. The clouds were thinning slightly ... the snow from earlier in the day had barely amounted to a dusting. From behind the clouds, a sliver of moonlight appeared.   
  
Ashi smirked slightly. "Ah, you're certainly a special one. Felt the full moon through the clouds, huh?"   
  
Kiba didn't respond, still staring up at the dark night sky.   
  
* * *   
  
The inside of the installation was always alive with activity, regardless of the time of day. Guard patrolled the outer rim of the building, and white-garbed scientists bustled around, their noses in papers, and scribbling on clipboards. Even through this mess of constant activity, it was hard to miss the caravan of official-looking vehicles that pulled through the main gate.   
  
There was hardly a disruption in any of the scientist's routines, save for a few. Out of one of the black vehicles, a beautiful woman in a dark red business suit emerged. She brushed strands of blonde hair off of her shoulder as she stood, considering the installation.   
  
"Ah! Chikai-san!"   
  
She turned in time to see three lab-coat-clad scientists bustling up to her. She looked down her nose at the three of them, half amused and half annoyed by their bumbling, overlapping conversations. Instead of trying to decipher what they were babbling about, she took charge. "Are any of you Dr. Degre?"   
  
"That would be me, Chikai-sama."   
  
Hamona Chikai glanced to her left, where a young woman with her hair tightly up in a bun stood. She had been considering a clipboard, and had only glanced up at her name.   
  
Completely ignoring the other three scientists, Hamona turned and walked purposefully towards her. "I was told you are the one to talk to concerning Tsuchi and Tane."   
  
"That would be correct," Dr. Degre pushed up her glasses with one finger. "Please, Chikai-sama, call me Cher. Would you like to see them?"   
  
"Please."   
  
"Follow me, then." The young woman led the way into the installation, followed by Hamona.   
  
The exterior of the building was constantly busy, but the interior seemed calm. They passed few scientists, and fewer civilians. "So, doctor... tell me what's been going on with our flowers."   
  
"We're not quite sure," Cher said. "They've been reacting to something. Our contact with the other installation is limited, so we don't know if Kuki has been reacting at all."   
  
"It's quite strange. I didn't even know this facility existed until father died." Hamona looked at the ceilings. "I'm afraid I don't know much of what's going on. Oneesama usually takes care of this, but she has been called away."   
  
They came to a pair of large doors, which had a code-lock. Cher swiped a pass-card, and then quickly typed in a five-digit number. The door hissed, and then with a groan of hydraulics, it opened.   
  
The interior of this room was not lit by the harsh fluorescent lights of the hall; instead there was a soft glow that ran along the walls. The majority of the light came from twin green orbs, suspended in the middle of the room. The scientists at work glanced up at the intrusion, but went back to their duties quickly. "Agra, has there been any change?" Cher called as she strode brusquely to one of the control panels.   
  
"Tane's levels have returned to normal, but Tsuchi is still reacting. She opened her eyes earlier."   
  
Cher glanced at the right-most sphere, where the figure of a young girl was suspended. Her eyes were half-open, but completely dark. Outside of the green liquid, they would be solid red.   
  
Hamona moved to stand beside Cher. "So this is Tsuchi?" She glanced to the other sphere, which also held the figure of a young girl. "And that one's Tane," she added, more as an afterthought. "That's strange."   
  
Cher was busy marking things down on her clipboard. "What's strange, Chikai-sama?"   
  
"Three flower maidens exist, yet the Lunar Tome only speaks of one," Hamona said thoughtfully.   
  
The blonde doctor started suddenly. "You've seen the Lunar Tome? You've read from it?"   
  
Hamona nodded, her eyes still fixated on the spheres. "Yes ... it's been in my fiancé's family for years." Then she shook her head violently, looking back down at Cher. "There's no telling what has been causing these reactions?"   
  
Cher shook her head. "No. In my time here, the flower maidens have never opened their eyes." She gestured to Tsuchi. "Something is going on."   
  
Even as the two women stared at the flower maiden, Tsuchi's eyes slowly opened wider. "Dr. Degre! Tane is reacting again!"   
  
"What?" Cher ran over to the other globe, in time to see Tane shift slightly and open her eyes as well. "What in the world is going on?"   
  
Even as Cher was making adjustments on that side of the room, a harried scientist ran in. "Dr. Degre!"   
  
"Now what is it?" Cher snapped, not turning around.   
  
"... Dr. Degre," the scientist panted, out of breath. "You'd better hear it for yourself..."   
  
Cher stopped and turned around. "...hear?" Hamona glanced at the scientist, and then followed her as they hurried out of the inner chamber. It didn't take nearly as long for them to go back down the enormous hallway as it had for them to go up it. They exited the inner part of the facility, and as Hamona felt the cool night air brush her cheek, she heard it as well.   
  
The howl was carrying quite clearly on the still night air. "That's a wolf," the other scientist said quietly.   
  
"That's impossible," Cher snapped. "They've been extinct for close to seventy years!"   
  
Suddenly Hamona's eyes lit up and she rummaged in the bag she wore slung across her shoulders. With a triumphant sound, she pulled out an old book, wrapped in a scarf to keep it safe. Cher's eyes widened as Hamona begin to flip through it. "That's it, isn't it... the Lunar Tome..."   
  
"One of the things that the flower maiden reacts to is wolves..." Hamona said quietly. "It is wolves who will lead the way to paradise ... and the end of the world."   
  
Her words hung in the night, surrounded by the distant howl of a wolf.   
  
End Chapter 1  
Shizuka na Tsuki (_Silent Moon_)  
  
  
  
**Japanese Glossary**  
  
_*oyabun_ -- boss  
_*ronin_ -- in this instance, someone trying to get into college  
_*shizuka na_ -- silent  
_*taku_ – jeez  
_*tsuki_ -- moon  
_*yare yare_ -- oh well, verbal sigh  
  



	2. hashiru

**Tsukino Namida**

Author's Note: Um, yeah. Some of my formating went wonky and it didn't properly seperate the scene changes. Sorry about that!

Hubb Lebowski pushed open the door to his office, saw the amount of paperwork sitting on his desk, and resisted the sudden urge to turn around and flee. He hung his hat on the coat rack in the corner, already shrugging out of his ratty grey duster, all the while eyeing the stack to make sure it didn't multiply like rabid rabbits when his back was turned.  
  
"I was only gone a day," he complained to the coat rack as he hung his coat up as well. Before he had a chance to actually get to his desk, the office door slammed open and rebounded against the wall like a shot.   
  
"LEBOWSKI!"   
  
Hubb winced as his direct superior stormed into the office, already ranting. "-wild dogs attacking people on the streets, the heads of corporations arrive in town, an entire gang is massacred-"   
  
"Good to see you too, chief," Hubb said, walking around his desk and finally actually getting a good look at the pile of paperwork. He quickly wished he hadn't. "I'm never taking a day off again."  
  
"You're damn right you're not! Not if all of this is going to happen when you're away!"   
  
"Brilliant," Hubb muttered absently, picking up the report on top. It was about the wild dog attack. He had heard about it yesterday, but really hadn't thought all that much about it. He flipped open the report.   
  
"I'm putting you on this dog thing, Lebowski. The guy upstairs wants every stray dog in this city to have a bullet to the head by this time tomorrow. I've been trying to convince him to back it down a little, so we've got no time on this." White paused in the doorway. "They're being kept in a pen outside ... not a one of them is large enough to do the damage with one bite that guy sustained."  
  
"Right," Hubb nodded, flipping through photographs as well as the autopsy report. The size of the bite was large, larger than most pets or wild dogs would be capable of. He glanced up to ask White a question, but his chief was already gone, harassing someone else in the station house.  
  
Hubb pushed his chair out with a foot and sat down, nudging the stack of reports off to one side so he could spread the other one out. Just as he settled down, a pretty young aide stuck her head in the door. "Lebowski-san, they're taking the first bunch of dogs to be put down."  
  
"What?!" Hubb leapt to his feet. "So soon?"  
  
The aide shrugged. Hubb darted to the coat rack, tipping it over in his haste to pull off his coat and hat. His hat in his teeth and still pulling his arms through the sleeves, he bolted out the door. "Did they say where they're at?"  
  
"Outside," the aide gestured vaguely. Hubb stopped and gave her an incredulous look, and the aide shrugged. "Sorry, they skimped on the details."  
  
Swearing to himself, Hubb darted through the door and down the stairs. He got to the base of the stairs in time to see a large truck full of cages pull out. "Oi! OI!" Hubb waved his arms frantically at the driver, but the man only stuck his arm out the window and waved back.  
  
"Auugh," Hubb groaned, glancing around. He spotted his car and ran to it, fishing the keys out of his pocket. "This is gonna be one long day."

( ) ( ) ( )  
  
It was early, and it was already snowing.   
  
Hige glowered up at the heavens, as if that would stop the snow from falling. If anything, it at least made him feel better. "Taku..." he sighed, returning his attention to earth.  
  
The market was open early, and the buzz of activity almost seemed unnatural in comparison with the rest of the city. The market and downtown were the only places that ever seemed populated ... you could wander the back streets and not come across a living soul for hours on end. It probably had to do with the cold, Hige thought as he stopped in front of a food vendor. Most people had the sense to stay indoors when it was this cold out.   
  
Apparently he lingered too long, because the food vendor glowered at him. "If you're not buying, move along!" he snapped.  
  
Hige pulled a face at him, before walking off. The vendors in the market had sharp tongues and sharper eyes. With the increase of poorer classes came a sharp rise in theft. Even the good lifters got caught often, and it wasn't uncommon to see people with only one hand ... even in this modern day, the vendors had a steep price for stealing their goods.  
  
Fortunately for Hige, he was a very good thief.  
  
He was snacking on the apple he lifted when he noticed the commotion at the end of the street. Curious, he wandered over in that direction. Hige had nothing but time to kill, so it couldn't hurt to poke his ever-inquisitive nose where it shouldn't be.  
  
Several armor-clad police were arguing with a shop vendor, while a young girl cried in the background, hugging a dog. One of the policemen held a metal bar with a loop on the end. Hige paused a little down the street, he was too far away to hear the exact words of the exchange, but it was obvious the policemen were trying to take the dog. After a short shouting match, the vendor won and the policemen stalked off.   
  
"Interesting," Hige muttered, taking a bite of his apple.  
  
"Horrible, is more like it," a young woman with a shopping back said beside him. "They're trying to take family pets away from people right and left ... they've already rounded up all the stray dogs. Rumor is they're going to put them all down."   
  
"That is horrible," Hige agreed. He took another bite of his apple, and watched the police slowly back their truck up. The rear end of the truck was loaded up with cages, and just as Hige was turning around, he noticed a flash of red.   
  
He turned sharply. "Hey!" Then he ran towards the truck, waving his arms wildly. "Hey, hey!"   
  
The truck hadn't gotten off to a start yet, so the policeman on the passenger side hung out the window. "Yeah? What do you want?"  
  
Panting slightly, Hige pointed to the back of the truck. "You've got my dog." He huffed a moment. "Black dog, red bandanna."  
  
The policeman shrugged. "Tough break, kid, but we found her loose on the streets. Might as well find you a new pet." He motioned for the driver to start forward.   
  
"Wait! You're not just going to kill my dog, are you?!"  
  
The policeman shrugged again, but then one who was riding in the back said something, and the guy turned around. He listened for a moment, and then turned back to Hige. "What's her name, kid?"  
  
Her... name? CRAP! Hige thought quickly, and the only thing he could think of were the dog's large blue eyes. "Uh... Blue," he said.  
  
"Right, then. If the dog responds to the name, then we'll let her go. One less dog means one less piece of paperwork." The officer grabbed a key ring and slid out of the cabin. "I'll be right back, boys, this shouldn't take a minute."  
  
Hige followed the officer to the back of the truck nervously. This was all spur of the moment ... he didn't even know if the dog would recognize him, or bolt for it. Fortunately for both Hige and the officer, the cage holding the large black dog was one of the last ones on the truck. "Glad I only had to move one," the officer huffed, unlocking the cage door.  
  
The black dog sprang out, and Hige glanced at the officer in surprise. The man winked. "I don't particularly like what they're doing," he said in a low voice. "But orders are orders." The officer watched, amused, as the black dog practically knocked Hige over by jumping on him and licking him.   
  
"Oi, Blue," the officer said, and the dog stopped, cocking her head at the officer. "You be a good girl and stay with your master, so this doesn't happen again, you understand?"  
  
Blue yipped happily and then resumed lavishing affection on Hige, who had given up and fallen on his behind. The officer gave them both a two-fingered wave before climbing back into the cab of the truck. Hige watched the truck lumber off, still not quite sure what had happened. After a moment, he was quite through with the face-washing. "Oi, enough already!" He pushed the dog off of his lap.  
  
Blue sat beside him happily, tongue lolling out of her mouth. Hige sighed, rubbing his head. "Well, then. Because of my sudden attack of conscience, I guess I'm stuck with ya, Blue-eyes." Blue barked a reply, and Hige laughed, patting her head and than slowly getting to his feet. "Fine, fine, I know when I'm beat. Let's go find something to eat, huh?"

( ) ( ) ( )

Ashi yawned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. He hadn't meant to fall asleep on the roof, but it had been so peaceful and relaxing with the full moon's light washing down on him. He grumbled slightly to himself, working out the kinks, before standing up.  
  
Kiba was gone, but that didn't surprise Ashi one bit. He made his way carefully down the pile of debris, until his boots were on solid ground once more. He wandered over to the ledge and glanced down.  
  
There was at least twice the number of gang members inhabiting the lower level than there was the night before. Ashi blinked, staring down at them. There were a good dozen of them now, all shapes and sizes. The thing that Ashi noticed that amused him the most was that at least four of the men assembled weren't even a part of Tsume's gang. The others gave them wide berth, but it was clear they came to avenge friends from Luca's group.  
  
Ashi sniffed the air, already having lost interest in the group. Kiba's scent was old, he had been gone a while. For an instant, Ashi wondered if he had gone early, forgone the dealings with humans, and was already dead.  
  
He dismissed the notion. There was no point to worrying about it ... Kiba was gone now, and if he would return, then he would return. There was nothing to be done about it now.  
  
"Oi, Ashi."  
  
Ashi glanced over his shoulder, watching as Tsume stepped over some of the rubble that blocked the door. "Ohayou, oyabun." Ashi tossed his head in the direction of the assembled thugs. "Looks like you've got yourself a task force."  
  
"Interesting how fast word spreads," Tsume said, walking over to the edge and staring down at them. "I see we've got some recruits from Yaga's group.   
  
Omoshiroii."  
  
"I know. Think they can be trusted?"  
  
"We'll find out. Speaking of trusted, where's your friend? Did he run off with his tail between his legs?"  
  
Ashi gave Tsume a sharp look, but the silver-haired young man wasn't looking at him, instead still looking down at the activity below. Ashi measured his words carefully. "I haven't seen him since the night, but I don't think he ran out on us, oyabun."  
  
Tsume grunted something that Ashi didn't catch, but he didn't bother with it. "We're really going to do this in the middle of the day?"  
  
"It's between guard shifts," Tsume said. "Your friend actually picked a good time to go. The first shift is switching out with the second, and if we're lucky, just about everyone else will still be on their lunch breaks." He crossed his arms, leaning against part of the railing that wasn't broken.   
  
"And if we're not lucky?"  
  
"Then we're dead." Tsume glanced back over his shoulder at Ashi, who didn't look perturbed. "I'm not going to ask you to come with us," he started, when Ashi snorted.  
  
"Oh, stuff it, oyabun. I'm gonna go out and look for Kiba ... what do you want me to tell your girlfriend if I see her?"  
  
Tsume's look turned into a glower. "She is not my girlfriend, and I would thank you to avoid her if at all possible."  
  
"Yahuh. I'll be sure to remember that." Ashi waved over his shoulder as he headed out the door. Tsume closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
This entire venture was spiraling out of his hands. It had been an impulse yesterday, he had really no intention of even attempting to avenge Luca's gang ... they had known each other, and kept out of each other's territory, but that was it. Luca was an idiot for getting himself killed like that, and it really wasn't any of Tsume's business. However ... he wanted to know what they were protecting in that installation of theirs.  
  
He smirked to himself. "I'm a complete fool." He got up on the half-crumbled ledge, and then dropped down amid the rabble below. That startled them all awake, and earned a bit of respect from Yaga's goons, even if his legs weren't too happy with him.  
  
Tsume straightened, glancing around and evaluating them all. "We're leaving now," he told them gruffly. "I won't hold it against you if you decide not to come. Once we're there, though, I don't take kindly to deserters."   
  
One final glance over the lot of them showed that they understood. He nodded, and then led the way out of the headquarters, and into the gray late morning.

( ) ( ) ( )

He had been watching the kids all morning.   
  
At first, there had only been one. But as the morning progressed, more joined in, and after a while five or six kids were playing soccer in the back street, slogging through snow drifts and generally having a good time. The scuffed black and white ball bounced around wildly as the kids played, ricocheting off of garbage clans with enough clatter to raise the ire of someone in a nearby apartment. The kids promptly showed how much they respected their elders by bouncing the ball repeatedly off of the dumpster in response.  
  
After a long while of this, he was finally noticed.  
  
"Hey, look at the dog!"  
  
"Wow!" It didn't take long for the kids to crowd around him. Hana raised his head happily as the kids jostled around to pet the dog. They scratched behind his ear, and under his chin, and ooooh right there, on his back. After a minute or two, they tired of this and ran off, ready to play more games. Hana's wagging tail soon slowed, and he knew he had already been forgotten.  
  
He got to his feet. There wasn't all that much for him to do in this city. There were some kids for him to play with, but they got tired of him quickly, and before he knew it he was wandering the back alleys again, looking for scraps, or just someone to talk to.  
  
The birds didn't like him one bit. They would mock him whenever they saw him, but Hana was at least adept at tuning them out. Hana trotted out, pausing by the kid's game again in the hopes of another petting, but they were too involved to care, so he continued on.  
  
The back streets were full of life today, a marked difference from the previous day. A few people looked at him funny, but he ignored it, unless they stopped to pet him. The closer he got to the main roads though, the less that happened. And soon, as the roads got nicer, people actually started avoiding him. Hana didn't like this at all.  
  
He hadn't been in the city long; he had hitched a ride here in the cab of some truck. The trucker had been a nice man, and Hana had ridden with him to several cities. He had let Hana out as normal, but when Hana returned to where the truck had been parked, it was long gone.  
  
"Hey, get that dog!"  
  
Hana wasn't really paying attention at first, because there were other, more important things on his mind. When the shouter got close enough for Hana to sense the danger, then he started paying attention.  
  
Three police officers were running down the street towards him. One had a long metal pole with a loop on the end of it; another had what looked like a stun gun. Hana immediately knew this was a Very Bad Thing and decided a retreat was in order. He darted down an alley and started running.  
  
He turned several corners in quick succession, burrowed under a fence and jumped several trash cans, before finding himself in an alley that opened back out onto a main road. He froze; knowing that going out there might mean they'd chase him again.  
  
While he was thinking on this, a strange scent caught his attention. He looked up in time to see a white wolf in the guise of a human walk casually by, with the humans none the wiser. Hana blinked, and then stepped cautiously to the edge of the alley, sticking his head out the mouth and glancing down the street. No one was even giving the white wolf a second look.  
  
Hana glanced back, hearing the pursuing police officers start to catch up. It was time to make a decision.  
  
Hubb pushed his hat up on his head as he scratched his forehead in frustration. A few hundred cages sat before him, filled with dogs in a variety of shapes and sizes, most whining and barking at each other.

( ) ( ) ( )  
  
"I cab't breave," he muttered, fishing a handkerchief from his pocket and blowing his nose again. "I swear, chieb knows I'm 'llergic to any'hing bat 'as fur!" He blew his nose, walking through the maze of cages as fast as he could.   
  
Thankfully, the chief had managed to get that hold on shooting all the dogs through, and now they were all just in cages and very, very upset. Hubb had been walking through the cages with a few other policemen, marking the cages of the dogs that might possibly have the correct jaw size. It was surprisingly few dogs.  
  
They hadn't gotten through all that many cages before Hubb's allergies had attacked him full force. He had let the younger officers continue on with the job, and headed as far away from the cages as he could get.  
  
"It couldn't have been a wolf."  
  
Hubb stopped dead. Three younger officers were marking cages nearby. Actually, it was more along the lines of one was marking cages, and two were standing around talking to him. "I'm telling you, it was. Didn't you hear the wolf howling last night?"  
  
"Wolves are extinct."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Um, same as most larger wild animals. We learned that in elementary school."  
  
Hubb was intrigued. "Dere was a wolb how'ing last nigbt?"  
  
The three officers turned and glanced at him, bewildered. Hubb excused himself, blew his nose several times, and cleared his throat. "Erm ... there was a wolf how'ing last night?"  
  
"Yeah ... a lot of people heard it," one of the officers who weren't working said.   
  
"Which is, of course, complete horse shit," the one who was marking cages said. "Wolves have been extinct for years."  
  
"That's what they'd like you to think," the first retorted.  
  
The second and third looked at him like he was crazy. "What?"  
  
"Well ... if you wanted people to stop bothering you, you'd pretend to be extinct too, wouldn't you?"  
  
The third one shook his head. "You have entered the realm of "not touching that"," he informed his companion.  
  
Hubb had to smile. "You three are just out of the Academy, aren't you?"  
  
The one marking cages smiled. "Did our sparkling wit give it away?"  
  
Hubb waved at them, turning to walk away. "Get back to work, before someone with real authority comes over here and yells at you," he told them good-naturedly. However, he was mulling over this new side of things. "Wolves, huh...."

( ) ( ) ( )  
  
Kiba would have to be blind to not realize that he was being followed. He frowned, glancing slightly over a shoulder to watch a young wolf sneak around a corner and watch him. The young wolf sensed he had been spotted and ducked back behind an alley wall.   
  
Kiba shook his head and turned back to the road. It seemed all the vagrant wolves were coming out of the woodwork. The scent of the flower had called them to this city, but they had hidden themselves in it, not going any further. He did not understand why, nor what was stopping them. Their goal was clearly in sight, it was securely guarded from a human standpoint, but as wolves they would have no problem at all slipping through the holes in security.  
  
There was a crash behind him, and Kiba stopped, as did the pedestrians around him, to see what the commotion was. It was, not surprisingly, the young wolf. He had taken human form and was not used to concealing himself on two legs. This klutziness, mixed in with the crowds around a few haphazard tents, made for an obstacle course the young one failed at.   
  
He watched, slightly amused, as the "boy" picked himself up, apologized profusely to the owner of the tent, and then fled into the crowd. He was not a hard character to track ... visually, his human form wore bright colors, and his gray hair was very distinctive. Shrugging off his interest, Kiba turned and made his way through the crowd.  
  
His morning walk hadn't done much good. The city was laid out on a series of grids, so it was easy to move quickly from one area to another. The people who resided within were as apathetic as any he had come across, and with the exception of Ashi, this young wolf was the only other one he had come across.  
  
The installation had been his primary worry, but a quick scout of their security provided little of threat. That gang leader and his thugs might have some problems, but that was their issue and not his. He had already come to the decision that they would serve as a diversion, making things all the easier for Kiba to slip in and check out the source of the scent. If the Lunar Flower was encased within the installation ... well, that was something he'd worry about when he got that far.  
  
Kiba was nearly out of the main market when the young wolf managed to fall over a pile of crates and sprawl into his path. Kiba halted and stared down at the wolf, who was sitting up and scratching his head, looking sheepish. His scarf fluttered around him like a second tail. "Err... that wasn't supposed to happen."  
  
He received no response. Kiba merely stared down at him, so the young wolf hopped to his feet. "I'm Hana," he told Kiba excitedly. "I haven't ... err... met anyone like me before. Do you live around here?"  
  
Kiba blinked once, and then stepped around the wolf, continuing on his way. He needed to be at the installation soon, anyway, or else Tsume would be going in without him.  
  
Hana stood there for a second, surprised at the brusque brush-off, then turned and trailed after Kiba, undeterred. "My name's Hana. I'm from ... somewhere far away. Not sure, really. Been traveling all of my life!"  
  
There was no response, but that didn't stop Hana. He chattered away to Kiba, who had long ago tuned out the younger wolf. He wondered for a brief instant if every wolf was as insane as Hana, then remembered that Ashi at least seemed normal, excepting his bizarre affinity for humans. Kiba sighed quietly. Apparently he had just picked up a straggler.

( ) ( ) ( )  
  
The installation was buzzing with activity. Cher Degre bustled down one hall, her dress suit wrinkled and her lab coat spotted. She hadn't had more than an hour of sleep and no time to change out of her clothes and into fresh ones. The flower maidens had been reacting, and she didn't want to miss a minute of anything.  
  
Hamona had returned to the installation earlier in the morning, after spending the night in a local hotel. She had met with the scientists above Cher several times, but sought out the rare female doctor on the team personally to let her know what was going on. "We're going to transfer both of the flower maidens to our main complex," she told Cher as they had hurried along one of the corridors. "We want to see what sort of reactions we'll get by placing all of the maidens together."  
  
"You're moving them both? Today?" Cher was very disturbed by this. "It's very dangerous, and might disrupt the globes..."  
  
"We're taking them out of their globes," Hamona said breathlessly. "They've awoken, Cher! It's cheaper, and safer to move them outside of that equipment, and as long as we keep their feet soaking in the solution, they shouldn't even come close to withering." Cher's horrified expression was not pacified by Hamona's excitement.   
  
"They've never been out of those globes once, not since before I've been here," she said, slowing her busied trot to a stop. "I'm not sure that's ... wise."  
  
"They're being moved this afternoon," Hamona continued, moving straight through Cher's discomfort. "I want you to be with them the entire time, you'll be a familiar face to them."  
  
Cher had nodded once. "Of course, Chikai-sama, whatever you wish. If you'll excuse me... I do have a lot of work to do, especially if you are going to have them moved today." She had hurried off, leaving Hamona to turn and go chasing off after some scientists, shouting something about pretzels.  
  
That had been earlier in the day. Now, while the activity was frenzied to prepare the flower maidens for their journey, it had somehow also become... subdued. The globes were going to be emptied in just a few hours, and then Tane and Tsuchi would be transported in a modified cargo car to the main installation, in the south.  
  
Cher slowed to a stop, stifling a yawn. She wanted to be awake to document all of this, but her exhaustion was quickly catching up with her. Grabbing a nearby aide, she told him to inform her superiors that she would be in her office, napping, but to send word if anything happened, even the minutest detail. With that taken care of, she turned around and made a beeline for her office.  
  
The phone was ringing as she stepped through the door. Shutting it behind her, she groaned and mentally revised her statement to "major details" as she picked up the phone. "Degre."  
  
"I was beginning to think you were never going to pick up, Cher." The voice on the other end didn't belong to any of the scientists, and it actually took Cher a moment to remember who it was. "Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten your fiancé already."  
  
"Hubb," Cher flopped onto the couch, kicking off her heels and rubbing her forehead as she did so. "It's been very hectic over here. They're moving everything out to the main installation."  
  
There was silence on the other end, and Cher could imagine his expression. "Everything? Where does that leave you?"  
  
"I have to go with them, for the time being," Cher told him, trying not to yawn into the phone. "Just to get the cargo settled."  
  
"... sure," Hubb said quietly. Then his voice switched gears. "What do you know about wolves?"  
  
Cher sat up and stared at the receiver for a moment. "Wolves? They're extinct, aren't they?"  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Hubb was quiet for another moment, and then his voice was forcibly cheerful. "I was just checking up on you, anyway. Give me a call when you arrive ... wherever it is you're going."  
  
"Hubb, wait--" Cher said quickly, but not fast enough. The line disconnected, and buzzed quietly. "Dammit, Hubb," she groaned, sinking into the couch. She hadn't wanted any of this stuff to have happened ... it just had. There was very little she could do about it now, though, so she just settled into her couch for her nap, hoping she could dismiss the pesky little thoughts circling around her brain and at least get another hour's sleep under her belt.

( ) ( ) ( )  
  
Ashi was sitting on top of a fence, chewing on a hamburger, when Kiba and Hana walked by. "I was beginning to wonder if you were dead or not," Ashi said conversationally, jumping down off the fence and taking position on Kiba's right side.  
  
Hana glanced at him curiously. Ashi had folded his arms behind his head and was walking next to Kiba with his eyes closed. One of those eyes suddenly snapped open and stared at Hana. "So, who are you, runt?"  
  
"Me?" Hana jumped slightly. "I'm ... um, I'm Hana."  
  
"Hana?" Ashi sniffed slightly, and then grinned. "Nice to see more fur around here."I'm Ashi. The strong and silent one here is Kiba. What are you doing around here, Hana?"  
  
Hana was staring at Kiba again. "Nothing much," he muttered.   
  
"Ah, good. We can always use another runner." Ashi stretched his arms out languidly. "Tsume was starting to doubt you," he told Kiba conversationally, as they headed down an alley and out of the main flow of pedestrians.   
  
"Let him doubt." Kiba glanced down the alley, which ended in a short brick wall, blocking off a two-story drop where the buildings had been built on a slope. Hands still in pockets, he hopped up on the ledge, staring at the installation at the northern edge of the city. Ashi easily hopped up beside him, and he watched, half-amused, as Hana quickly scrambled to join them. In the distance, there was an explosion on one side of the installation. "They've started without us."  
  
Ashi swore quietly, and the three wolves quickly disappeared from their ledge. In the distance, smoke curlicued from the edge of the facility, and up into an uncaring gray sky.  
  
Chapter 2  
_Hashiru_ (Run)  
  
**Japanese Glossary**  
  
_hashiru_ -- run  
_ohayou_ -- 'mornin  
_omoshiroii_ -- interesting  
_oyabun_ -- boss  
_-san_ -- honorific  
_taku_ -- jeez


End file.
